


A Love Story in Seven Letters

by Kennesaw



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22607023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kennesaw/pseuds/Kennesaw
Summary: Snippets of notes between Josh and Donna over the years.
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	A Love Story in Seven Letters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuburbanSun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/gifts).



(Note inside Heinrich Breckengruber on the Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing.)

Donna -  
From the moment you walked into the Manchester campaign office and made yourself my assistant, you have been invaluable to me and this team. I really think I could not do this job without you, and our work here means everything to me. I wish you a joyous Christmas, and I hope Heinrich Breckengruber here can teach you everything you want to know about skiing that I know I absolutely cannot.  
Merry Christmas,  
Josh

(Draft email to jlyman@whitehouse.gov)

Dear Josh,  
All day I’ve been trying to tell people about this Chinese satellite that’s going to come crashing down on us, and no one (including you!) is taking it seriously. I don’t know what’s wrong with you all, but I’m writing this now in case I’m right and you’re all wrong about what’s headed towards us.  
If it turns out that I’m going to die in a massive ball of fire, I want you to know that you are an idiot, that you should have listened to me, and that I love you. That I’ve loved you since...I’m not actually sure, but it had to have been close to when you handed me your staff badge on my first day with the campaign. I know you’re my boss, and I know you probably don’t see me that way, and I don’t want to mess anything up, but I hate the idea of you never knowing how I felt about you.

(Email to jlyman@whitehouse.gov)

Josh -  
I really don’t know how you do this. You’ve spent all day shooting down my idea for Molly Morello Month (fine, day), making me jump through all those stupid hoops for what (I know!) you kept telling me we couldn’t do, and then you go and do something like this. I just got off the phone with Mrs. Morello and the President, in the Oval Office! He spent twenty minutes talking with her about Beowulf and Twelfth Night and her plans for retirement. I don’t know how you got all that information about her teaching Shakespeare at home; I didn’t even know that. It was one of the sweetest things you’ve ever done, and I can’t thank you enough. That you and the President could and would take the time to do this for me and Mrs. Morello...I will never forget this.

(Draft email to jlyman@whitehouse.gov)

Josh -  
I never thought I’d have to do this. I didn’t mean to make trouble for you or the President. You know I would never intentionally do that. I was just so angry when Jack was reassigned and it seemed like you weren’t taking my concerns seriously. I came to you because I trust you to listen when it’s important and you were so very you in brushing off my - I’m so sorry. If I could take it back, I would. If my resignation is what it takes to make up for this I - something is hitting my window, I’ll finish this in a second

(Draft email to dmoss@whitehouse.gov)

I should have written back to you. I read your emails, all of them, every day, but I never wrote back. Why didn’t I write back? Instead, I’m sitting here writing out this stupid email after the fact while I’m on my way to Germany to see you and I’m just wishing I’d written you back. I sent you on this assignment because I felt guilty and you just wanted to do something more. I’m an idiot. I can’t lose you. I’m so sorry. If something happens to you...I should have written you back.

(Note on hotel letterhead, crumpled near the wastebasket)

Donna -  
I know you know most of my nights are pretty sleepless these days - I’m sure yours are the same - but last night was a whole new campaign stop hell. I spent the entire time thinking about you, just across the hall, and all of the things I should say, and should’ve said, and it was torture. I miss you so much every day and I don’t know how to make it better. I wish you were here, with me, trying to get Matt Santos elected and not that moron in the 

(email to dmoss@whitehouse.gov)

Donna -  
Let me just say that four weeks is a ridiculously short amount of time to figure out everything I feel for you, but I also recognize I’ve had eight damn years. I’m not going to say it to you the first time in an email, so, if you will meet me at Dulles at 6 tonight with a bag packed, I’d like to take you on the vacation I’ve owed you for those same eight years. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best to make up for the time I’ve wasted.

-Josh


End file.
